V 14 N. 26 Kenyan Marathon Team Announced and Some Old Photos to Prod Your Memories

 Kenya has announced it's two marathon teams for the Paris Olympics, three men and three women and two alternates.   

Here they are

Kenya Women’s Olympic Marathon Team

• Peres Jepchirchir (2:16:16, London 2024)
• Brigid Kosgei (2:14:04, Chicago 2019)
• Hellen Obiri (2:25:49, New York City 2022)
• Alternate: Sharon Lokedi (2:23:23, New York City 2022)

Kenya Men’s Olympic Marathon Team

• Eliud Kipchoge (2:01:09, Berlin 2022)
• Benson Kipruto (2:02:16, Tokyo 2024)
• Alexander Munyao (2:03:11, Valencia 2023)
• Alternate: Timothy Kiplagat (2:02:55, Tokyo 2024)

Eliud Kipchoge will be going for his third gold in the marathon and could not easily be denied a place on the team even though some young upstarts have been running faster lately.  They will just have to be patient.  Kipchoge started as a 5,000 meter guy in what seems like many years ago and paid his dues to be on the throne where he now resides.  He's also a credit to the sport, to life, and to helping the next generation move up the ladder.   Unfortunately some youngster who merits on performance this year will have to wait.   Such is life, such is sport.   It would have been an interesting selection process to witness as a fly on the wall.

Some old photos that some of you may even remember, but most likely none of you really.   Over the fourteen years I've been doing this blog, I've collected a lot of historic and not so historic pictures which I will be sharing in future blogs.  Here is the start.

Jackie Robinson for UCLA in the Coliseum

Jay Birmingham after completing his cross US run

Keino Jazy and Clarke

Keino

Clarke, Lindgren and some other guys (White City?)

Lindgren and Clarke post race

Mickey Gorman at Boston

Shigeki Tanaka Hirosh  Boston 1951

Siegfried Hermann

Tommie Smith over Lee Evans  44.8

Willie Nelson at the Austin City Limits

Zatopek at Cross Des Nations Paris

Zatopek

Miki Gorman and  Peter Buniak aka Jerome Drayton

after Boston win

Dual meet crowd at U. of New Mexico with Abilene Christian

Juergen May

Josef Odozil